1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dental handpiece, having provided at one end thereof at least one outlet opening for the discharge of a streaming medium.
Handpieces of this type are known in the dental medicine as functional handpieces. Through the use of such handpieces, a treating location in the mouth of the patient can be treated with a streaming medium in a precise manner, for example, for rinsing and cleaning, or for drying.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
A functional handpiece of that type is designated as a multi-functional handpiece when it possesses at least two media passageways through which there can be selectively conducted to the treating location one of two different media; for example, water or air. A multi-functional handpiece of that kind is described and illustrated in the specification of German Laid-Open Patent Application No. 21 37 584. By means of this prior art functional handpiece there can be selectively conducted in a precise manner to the treating location, either water, air, or a spray constituted of water and air.
A rapid, dependable and exact treatment; for instance, during a cleaning or diagnosis, can be implemented much more simply, the more light is available for the illumination of the treating location. Functional handpieces, by means of which there can be illuminated the treating location are presently available only as handpieces possessing a single function, and in essence, with only an illuminating function. For instance, a functional handpiece of that type is described and illustrated in German Laid-Open Patent Application No. 25 45 355.
When the treating dentist intends to illuminate a treating location in a precise or targeted manner, he is forced to lay down the handpiece, for example, a functional handpiece which is required for cleaning, and to seize the other functional handpiece possessing an illuminating device whereby, because of the reorientation of the treating dentist and a short interruption of the treating sequence, this becomes somewhat unwieldly.